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Good news! Hope makes headlines

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New study looks at cancer coverage in Canadian print media now vs. 20 years ago

New study looks at cancer coverage in Canadian print media
now vs. 20 years ago

If it bleeds, it leads, or so the old journalistic adage goes.
Not necessarily, say researchers from McGill University and the
Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research of the Jewish General
Hospital. In a first-of-its kind study that analyzes how cancer is
portrayed in Canadian newspapers today versus 20 years ago,
positivity and hope seem to be winning out.

“Our focus was on the media’s potential impact on patient
perspectives,” said Dr. Melissa Henry, the study’s lead author from
McGill’s Dept. of Oncology and the Segal Cancer Centre at the
Jewish General Hospital where she provides specialized psychosocial
oncology services to cancer patients through the Louise
Granofsky–Psychosocial Oncology Program. “Knowledge of how
newspapers portray cancer is essential. It has the power to affect
how individuals relate to cancer, it motivates information seeking
and promotes preventive behaviours.”

The research team, comprised of Dr. Henry, Dr. S. Robin Cohen,
Mr. Brendan Trickey and Ms. Lina Nuoxin Huang, looked at cancer
portrayals in six major dailies from across the country, sifting
through and analyzing thousands of articles published within a
three-month period in 2008 and in 1988/89.

Researchers found that cancer coverage in newspapers has
increased compared to 20 years ago. While this may be associated
with rising cancer rates, heightened public awareness and an aging
population, a significant shift in tone and content also came with
the uptick in coverage. “It is interesting to see a more positive
spin on the articles now and I think that’s a very hopeful message
that’s being sent out there,” said Henry. The positive coverage may
be attributed to an increasing number of cancer survivors,
awareness groups, fundraising and new treatments.

Henry added that the positive coverage, while important, comes
with a caveat: one needs to be wary of overly optimistic portrayals
of cancer. The team found that the number of stories from 2008
relating to death and dying were half the number seen in 1988/89
which suggests that the public may not be getting the full picture
in their understanding of issues surrounding the disease.

What’s more, very few articles from either time period covered
topics that touch on the psychological, social and
existential/spiritual aspects of cancer – like palliative care,
bereavement or whole person care – which underscores a critical gap
in cancer reporting. “Journalists may be more focused on the cure
than on the experience of cancer. Perhaps they need to be
sensitized to a more holistic approach as seen in oncology programs
across the country,” added Henry.

The paper was recently published in the journal Supportive Care
in Cancer. When the study was conducted, Dr. Henry was a Research
Fellow of the Canadian Cancer Society and had received support from
the CIHR/Strategic Training Program in Palliative Care Research.
She is now in the Department of Oncology at McGill University and
at the Jewish General Hospital. The research team also included Dr.
S. Robin Cohen, McGill Depts. of Oncology and Medicine and Lady
Davis Institute - Jewish General Hospital, Brendan Trickey and Lina
Nuoxin Huang, medical students at McGill University. Mr. Trickey
was supported through McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine
Summer 2008 Bursary Program with a bursary from the Mach Gaensslen
Foundation and Ms. Huang was supported by a Canadian Cancer Society
grant.